Thousands of pounds of sweets stored in a HGV trailer were destroyed by a blaze.

It is believed a battery fault started the fire and consumed the lorry and its 40ft trailer at H and JK Davies Bros, in Reddish, on Friday (August 16) at 2.30am.

Firefighters from Gorton station were called to the compound, on Kenwood Road, and spent two and a half hours battling the flames with two jets.

First they had to break into site, which was well secured.

The lorry and its contents, sweets belonging to New Mills manufacturer Swizzles Matlow, were destroyed. Flames also spread to nearby trees.

Bob Walker, watch manager at Gorton station, said: "Looking at the damage it suggests there was a fault in the vehicle battery but the location is fairly remote so the fire had a chance to get going."When we arrived it was a very, very well developed fire, the whole cab and trailer were alight. The flames were big, the trailer was about 20ft and they were 10ft above that."

It was loaded up with Swizzles Matlow sweets, the whole lot have gone it was a lot of money."